1. Field
The present application generally relates to the design of an optical metrology system to measure a structure formed on a workpiece, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus to perform process control using an optical metrology system optimized to meet one or more signal criteria.
2. Related Art
Optical metrology involves directing an incident beam at a structure on a workpiece, measuring the resulting diffraction signal, and analyzing the measured diffraction signal to determine various characteristics of the structure. The workpiece can be a wafer, a substrate, photomask or a magnetic medium. In manufacturing of the workpieces, periodic gratings are typically used for quality assurance. For example, one typical use of periodic gratings includes fabricating a periodic grating in proximity to the operating structure of a semiconductor chip. The periodic grating is then illuminated with an electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic radiation that deflects off of the periodic grating are collected as a diffraction signal. The diffraction signal is then analyzed to determine whether the periodic grating, and by extension whether the operating structure of the semiconductor chip, has been fabricated according to specifications.
In one conventional system, the diffraction signal collected from illuminating the periodic grating (the measured diffraction signal) is compared to a library of simulated diffraction signals. Each simulated diffraction signal in the library is associated with a hypothetical profile. When a match is made between the measured diffraction signal and one of the simulated diffraction signals in the library, the hypothetical profile associated with the simulated diffraction signal is presumed to represent the actual profile of the periodic grating. The hypothetical profiles, which are used to generate the simulated diffraction signals, are generated based on a profile model that characterizes the structure to be examined. Thus, in order to accurately determine the profile of the structure using optical metrology, a profile model that accurately characterizes the structure should be used.
With increased requirement for throughput, decreasing size of the structures, smaller spot sizes, and lower cost of ownership, there is greater need to optimize design of optical metrology systems to meet one or more signal criteria. Characteristics of the signal such as signal intensity, signal-to-noise ratio, and repeatability of diffraction signal measurements are essential to meeting the increased requirement for throughput, smaller spot size, lower cost of ownership of the optical metrology system, and automated process control of critical dimensions of structures.